有声名篇:莎士比亚《人生的七个阶段》
(from As You Like It, II, vii)
by William Shakespeare 朱生豪译
All the world's a stage,
全世界是一个舞台,
And all the men and women merely players;
所有的男男女女不过是一些演员;
They have their exits and their entrances;
他们都有下场的时候,也都有上场的时候。
And one man in his time plays many parts,
一个人的一生中扮演着好几个角色,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
他的表演可以分为七个时期。最初是婴孩,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
在保姆的怀中啼哭呕吐。
Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
然后是背着书包、满脸红光的学童,
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
像蜗牛一样慢腾腾地拖着脚步,
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
不情愿地呜咽着上学堂。然后是情人,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
像炉灶一样叹着气,写了一首悲哀的诗歌咏着
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
他恋人的眉毛。然后是一个军人,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
满口发着古怪的誓,胡须长得像豹子一样,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
爱惜着名誉,动不动就要打架,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
在炮口上寻求着泡沫一样的荣名。然后是法官,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
胖胖圆圆的肚子塞满了阉鸡,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
凛然的眼光,整洁的胡须,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
满嘴都是格言和老生常谈;
And so he plays his part.
他这样扮了他的一个角色。
The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
第六个时期变成了精瘦的趿着拖鞋的龙钟老叟,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
鼻子上架着眼镜,腰边悬着钱袋;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
他那年轻时候节省下来的长袜子,
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
套在他皱瘪的小腿上显得宽大异常;他那朗朗的男子的口音
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
又变成了孩子似的尖声,
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
像是吹着风笛和哨子。
That ends this strange eventful history,
终结着这段古怪的多事的历史的最后一场,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
是孩提时代的再现,全然的遗忘,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
没有牙齿,没有眼睛,没有口味,没有一切。
附上林语堂对这首诗的理解,希望对大家欣赏此诗有所帮助:
我想没有人会说一个有童年,壮年,老年地人生不是一个美满的人生。一天有上午,中午,日落之分,一年有四季之分。可是我现在想想人生真没有所谓好坏之分。有钱没钱的到最后都一样。我想只有“你人生之中的哪段经历或者是哪些东西在你人生中的哪一个季节是最好的”的问题。如果我们抱着这种生物学的人生观,而循着季节去生活,那么,除了夜郎自大的呆子和无可救药的理想主义者之外,没有人会否认人生可以像一首诗那样地度过去。
莎士比亚曾经在他的人生七阶段那段文章里,把这个观念更明了地表现出来,许多中国的作家也曾经说过同样地话。我尊敬莎士比亚先生,因为他把人生当作人生看,正如他不打扰他的戏剧中的人物一样,他也不打扰时间一切事物的一般配置和组织。他就活得和大自然本身一样。他仅仅是活在世界上,观察人生,最终根据生命活动的最后规则离开了世界。
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